Untitled Firefly Story - Featuring Amber
by Jamiecole2
Summary: After the time of the items that take place in Serenity and the death of Wash, new developments reunite the Serenity crew.
1. Chapter 1

**UNTITLED FICTION STORY**

 **OPENING SETTING COLONY WORLD 'HAVEN'**

 **CHARACTERS THAT I DON'T OWN THAT MAY BE FEATURED – THOSE FROM FIREFLY/ SERENITY (SURVIVING SERENITY CHARACTERS: RIVER AND SIMON TAM, ZOE WASHBURNE, MALCOLM 'MAL' REYNOLDS, INARA SERRA, JAYNE COBB, KAYWINNET LEE 'KAYE' FRYE)**

Amber was nursing her glass of water at her table in the bar she worked at on Haven. She was a woman of average height and build, but if someone looked into her eyes. Well those eyes were almost always a bit haunted these days. She used to have a smile for everyone, but since 'that battle', she hardly smiled anymore. Her honey brown hair was cut short, and her glasses were balanced on her nose. Currently she wore a brown leather jacket, khaki pants and matching khaki colored shirt. Her attire however wasn't always this casual…

Once she had been the leader of the Crimson Needle Fighter Squadron. The Needle was a fighter ship named for its slender design, similar to that of a sewing needle. But the Crimson Needles were the best of the best. Their pilots were the top of their class, or very near it. Amber had been chosen as the squadron leader due to her intuitive tactical skills. Coupled with Amber's piloting and combat skills she had been very formidable.

During that last battle, it was their first encounter with the Yami race. An alien race which could only be seen as a dark form or outline, they had attacked without provocation. The Council had tried to approach them diplomatically, but their representatives never returned. Nothing was known about what had happened to them. At the current time, common speculation was that if there was no diplomatic resolution, the worlds of the Expanse would be flying the flags of the Yami within ten years. Their weapons capabilities far outstripped anything the Council and what remained of the military could create currently. Optimists said there had to be a weakness in their weapons and defense capability, but as yet it hadn't been found.

The Crimson Needles had been one of the first squadrons deployed. It ended up being a blood bath. While their squadron had held out longer than most, eventually they fell against the fighters that the Yami deployed. One by one Amber had watched her teammates fall. One by one, until she was the only one left alive, and that was just barely. It was sheer luck that she'd managed to escape and survive that battle. She left the military after the battle, too shaken by what she'd seen to fly again. The Command officers tried to get her to stay, offering her any posting that she wanted. She declined and walked out of that meeting with no regrets.

Wandering for a bit, she finally settled on Haven. She was very fortunate that the owner of the bar she worked at was in need of a bouncer. Though after the first time someone had comment about her service record, he also understood enough to let her handle such comments her own way. This way usually involved broken bones to the offending party. In fact patrons often bet these days on how she would make her point. She knew it went on, but the owner was letting her handle such things. The least she could do is pretend she didn't know the betting was going on.

Things had been quiet today, but she looked up at the sound of voices rising at a nearby table. Cale and Syn, two of the regulars were starting one of their heated 'debates' again. A lot of the patrons were starting to take sides. It was time for her to intervene before things got damaging. She walked over to the table and cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, you know the rules, keep it down, or take it outside."

"This is none of your concern; go poke your nose somewhere else." Cale said, being the taller of the two.

"You made it my concern by starting to get too loud over here." Amber reminded him. "I suggest you keep it down or take it outside." She said not moving, meeting his gaze squarely.

"I don't have to take orders from a Deserter like you." Cale said holding his ground. Syn's eyes widened and he and the rest of the crowd backed up. They knew what was coming and Cale realized too late what he'd said.

Grabbing Cale's shirt by the collar, she dragged him outside. The bets started exchanging hands in the bar and everyone watched as she 'addressed' Cale's comment. By the time she was finished with him, he had a dislocated shoulder, and two cracked ribs. She was polite enough to put his dislocated shoulder back into its socket, and he was smart enough to get up at that point and limp over to the clinic for the remaining medical attention he needed. Syn followed Cale out helping him over to the clinic.

By the time she returned to the table, everyone was back in their seats as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She sipped her glass of water, knowing the remaining shift would be uneventful. One exhibition like that a day was usually enough to deter any further disagreement in the establishment. She didn't know, however, that she was currently being watched.

Captain Malcolm Reynolds sat in a corner of the bar with her first mate Zoe Washburne and was still trying to absorb what he'd just seen occur. "We just saw that happen right?" he asked his first officer.

"Yes we did, she was very precise with her hits, and only did enough damage to teach that guy a lesson. She even set his arm back into his socket before he headed off to the clinic. I don't think that gentleman will be making any remarks about her former service after such a lesson." Zoe remarked as they watched the woman back to sipping her water. "The owner spoke highly of her, and so have a lot of the other patrons."

"Our informant said she would be the best pilot we could find, even though her background is more of a fighter based than a ship like ours. The problem he said we'd have is convincing her to take the job. She took it pretty hard when she saw her entire squadron destroyed at the hands of that Yami Race that appeared recently." Mal observed. "I think the owner allows her to handle things her way like that because it allows her to blow off steam after being reminded about what happened."

"River has been a very good co pilot though, she's picked up quickly. Why do you feel we need another pilot?" Zoe asked.

"River and Simon can't be guaranteed to be around all the time. You heard what the Operative said. They are still considered fugitives until he can convince the others that they are no longer a threat. In case they are forced to make a decision to leave to save us, I would like to have someone familiar with the Serenity to pilot her if need be." Mal paused. "The informant also said as a bonus, if we could get her on board, he would obtain a Needle for her to use if she chose."

"That would be a good thing to have if we couldn't go into an area ourselves but needed the information." Zoe agreed. "And as they are relatively recent tech, they are really expensive to come by."

"It's a one person fighter, but I agree. If we needed to get a package to someone, or retrieve one, we could have someone to fly the Needle to get in and out quickly."

As the conversation between Mal and Zoe continued at their table, Amber didn't miss them as they tried not to be looking in her direction. She knew who they were of course, since the military was primarily funded by the Alliance. Things changed though when the Yami showed up. Any warrants they had on their head had been put to the side due to the need to find a way to stop the Yami. She wondered if they'd found that out. She'd always had respect for those that served on the Firefly Class ship Serenity, although that didn't mean she'd agree to any pitch they'd offer her. She finally decided to take matters into her own hands as they still had not approached her. She got up and went over to their table and sat down. "It's not polite to stare…" She said to them, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Captain Amber Domi, I'm…" Mal started to say before Amber cut him off.

"I know who you both are, and my last name is Domino, not Domi. People tended to enjoy shortening my last name for some reason." She paused. "Now what do you want with me?"

"We need a new full time pilot. Our informant said that you would be our best choice, if we could get you to accept the post." Mal said getting right to the point.

"I thought I'd gone low enough that anyone wouldn't be able to inform anyone about my whereabouts. Ok I'll bite, who was your informant?" Amber asked.

"It was the Diamond Needle squadron commander, Captain Muffy Raven." Zoe answered.

"She survived too? May I ask where you found her?" Amber asked, remembering her old friend.

"She found us actually. We were just finishing a job and her Needle ever so casually slid up next to our ship. She apparently had heard we were looking for a new pilot and pointed us in your direction. Apparently she said you'd been keeping contact with her once a year, some kind of promise you made as she saw you resign your post." Mal added.

"Yeah, she forced me to promise her that, and like an idiot I couldn't say no." Amber confirmed. "She was always good at sneaking up on people, that's why her squadron was deployed on intelligence missions in most cases."

"She said if we got you to sign on, she'd provide a Needle for your personal use." Mal added.

"So she's playing that card. And why would I want to sign on with you?" Amber asked as her head turned to the doorway. "Something's wrong." Cale was at the door, bandaged up but there.

Amber got up, the current conversation forgotten. She ran over to Cale. "What happened?" she asked him, as she saw Syn come running up as well.

"The Yami…" he gasped out. "The Yami have been picked up on radar. They are coming to Haven." Cale said.

"How soon will they be here?" Amber asked.

"Twenty minutes at the most if we're lucky." Cale gasped.

"Captain Reynolds, where is your ship?" Amber said looking quickly at him. "How close is it?"

"Close enough, what do you have in mind?" Mal asked.

"A wing and a prayer," Amber said. "If you can still contact Muffy, warn her about what is about to go down here." She turned to the patrons. "Anyone with a ship, help evacuate those that don't. Try to head for the safe worlds, or rather what's left of them if you can."

Everyone got up from their tables and went about their tasks, gathering crews and civilians as they went. Everyone knew how big each of their ships was, and how much it could hold. Amber was surprised when Syn and Cale had stayed behind. "You two have your own ship don't you?" Amber asked.

"It is under repair and not likely to be finished before the Yami arrive. If it's all the same we'll stick with you." Cale said with a pained grin.

"That's his way of saying he's sorry for insulting you." Syn added.

"Up to those two whether or not you can come along." Amber said nodding to Mal and Zoe.

"At this point we're not going to argue about a little free help. Welcome aboard the Serenity." Mal said. "Now get your butts over to her and get on board. You, the taller one…" Mal started to say before Cale interrupted.

"Cale, sir... My name is Cale Morgan. This is my partner Syn Drake." Cale said.

"Fine then…Cale, make sure you have Simon look at your bindings and make sure they don't need to be redone once you're on board. Amber, you're coming as well correct?" Mal asked.

"The Yami don't give me much choice in the matter." Amber said sadly. She looked towards the owner who motioned her over to the bar.

"I can't give you everything I owe you for all the work you've done, but I can give you this much." He handed her a bag of part of her wages. He also handed her a duffel bag that had been stashed behind the bar. "Your things, the ones you told me to hold for you until you needed them."

"How will you get off Haven?" Amber asked him.

"My family and I are staying, for better or for worse. We were born here, and we will die here. There will be no regrets Captain Domino; we have all lived a full life." The owner said.

"Thank you, for everything." Amber said before turning and walking over to where Mal and Zoe were. "Let's get off this rock before it starts to burn."

"Agreed, come on." Mal said as he led them at a running pace towards where the Serenity was. If Kaylee had done everything the as efficiently as she normally did, the ship would be refueled and ready to go. Mal looked behind him at Amber. He had to admit, she was no slouch. He had a feeling if the warning of the attack hadn't come, she would have turned him down flat out. Kaylee had already attached the clamps that Muffy said they would need so that the Needle she had provided could dock with Serenity.

True to form the engines were already started by the time the three of them arrived. "Status?" Mal asked quickly.

"A small group of Yami ships are moving this way, they have already taken out some of the nearby scanning posts." Jayne replied as he shut the hatch behind them. "The two men arrived ahead of you three; Simon's got the one named Cale in medical right now. Syn is helping Kaylee in engineering."

"What about the Needle?" Zoe asked.

"On autopilot in orbit, it will automatically dock when River sends the signal Muffy provided." Jayne answered.

"Tell River to spin the engines and get us going then." Mal said. Jayne went off to let River know, and moments later they were in the air.

By the time the Serenity was back in space, Mal had made it up to the bridge with Zoe and Amber behind him. "We should be in sight of the Needle now Mal." River said from the copilot's seat.

"You are…But the signal you will be sending won't be the one from Muffy." Amber said in a soft voice coming up from behind River. "It will be my signal. May I borrow your communications console?" River nodded and moved over so Amber could access it.

"Why does it have to be your signal Amber?" Mal asked.

"Muffy plans for everything, in this case, she would have planned for scenarios in which I did or did not agree to your job offer. If I had not agreed, I believe she would have still let you have the Needle by transmitting her authorization signal. It would have authorized you to own the Needle, and be exempt from any charges of theft. But if I came on board for any reason, I believe she would have keyed the Needle to my old authorization code as well." Amber entered her code and sent it to the Needle's communication system. Moments later she was rewarded with the lights coming on in the cockpit and the autopilot taking over maneuvering it to the beacons on the docking clamps attached to the Serenity. The clamps automatically activated as they should have once she used her code to initiate the docking sequence.

"Looks like you were right Amber, Muffy does plan for everything." Mal agreed as the Needle clicked into place locked into the docking clamps. "Now I think it's time we burn the engines and get out of here before the Yami get here."

"That would be a good idea Mal, because they're getting closer." Zoe called from the tactical station. "They'll be here in five minutes."

"Everyone that's able to get off Haven hasn't left yet. They won't have enough time at that range." Amber pointed out. "How big is that Yami strike group?" She asked turning towards Zoe.

"From what everyone's picking up one large cruiser type, and five medium sized strike vessels." Zoe replied. "Though there may be more that no one has been able to scan yet."

"That's too many even for a Needle squadron." Amber said grimly, turning at a noise at the entry to the bridge.

"What if you confused the Yami fleet's sensors?" Cale asked as Simon came up behind him.

"Sorry Captain, he heard what was going on and wouldn't lay still." Simon apologized.

"Confuse them? How would we do that? We have no way to hack into them." Mal asked. "Though if it were possible, it may buy us enough time to get everyone out who is running."

River looked at Cale as if sensing something. "Captain, he could do it himself if his shoulder wasn't still recovering from an earlier incident, but as it is now he could only code with one hand."

"You're a hacker?" Mal asked looking at him.

"A hacker that specializes in hacking into Yami systems…I should probably formerly introduce myself. Operative Cale Morgan assigned to gather intelligence information on the Yami and report it back to the Council. My partner Syn Drake is also an Operative. We were sent as a team, though we didn't realize they were coming to Haven until our private scanner picked them up. By then it was too late." Cale said apologetically.

"What about Syn, could he do it?" Mal asked.

"I specialize in the computer stuff; he specializes in the communications side of it. His job was to monitor the scanner we had and notify the locals if the Yami were coming. We were lucky we found out about it when we did. It was almost too late." Cale explained.

"River, can you use your gift to see what he'd have done and break into the Yami systems?" Mal asked.

"I can try to. He would be able to watch to ensure I was doing it correctly." River replied.

"I think River should try as well." Amber agreed.

"I hope she can keep up, I'll be thinking codes pretty quickly. I have to code based on the replies I see on the screen." Cale said.

"But there are six ships you have to confuse AT LEAST." Amber pointed out.

"Don't worry, I can handle it." Cale said. "Now let me get to work, we don't have much time…"

They anxiously watched as the seconds ticked away. The seconds became minutes, and the minutes ticked down until the Yami vessels were visible outside. River hit a final set of codes under Cale's instruction and sent them. This resulted in the Yami vessels stopping where they were, and they couldn't move from their current position.

"Tell everyone to move it; I can only keep this code activated for fifteen minutes." Cale said.

"You heard the man, have all the ships evacuated within fifteen minutes." Mal said.

River sent the transmission. "Could the Yami ships have heard that?"

"One of the codes you sent jammed their communications for five minutes. Just long enough for you to transmit the information." Cale said. "If that will be all Captain, I believe I will follow the doctor's orders and go lie down."

"He's in great pain Mal, he's been ignoring it so I could have a clear image of the codes I needed to send from his mind." River observed.

"Forcing myself not to give into it you mean." Cale corrected.

"Get some rest Mr. Morgan, and thank you for your help." Mal said.

"Thank you sir…" Cale said trying to make a semi dignified exit, but only ending up passing out on the bridge from exhaustion.

"I'll get him back to Medical sir." Simon said.

"Not without help you won't." Mal said grabbing Cale's legs and lifting them as Simon lifted his arms. "Zoe you have the bridge. Amber, you and River get us out of here once everyone's clear. Keep an eye on those Yami vessels. If they so much as start to twitch, I don't want to be anywhere near them…" Mal said.

"Understood, and frankly Sir, neither do I." Amber agreed sitting down in the Pilot's chair. She started to plot a course out of the area, verifying her trajectory based on the star maps available. She wasn't about to die here, she had a score to settle one day with the Yami. First her Squadron, and now Haven…One day she would make them pay for all that they'd taken from her. One day the Expanse would be Free.

END CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

**UNTITLED FICTION STORY**

 **OPENING SETTING COLONY WORLD 'HAVEN'**

 **CHARACTERS THAT I DON'T OWN THAT MAY BE FEATURED – THOSE FROM FIREFLY/ SERENITY (SURVIVING SERENITY CHARACTERS: RIVER AND SIMON TAM, ZOE WASHBURNE, MALCOLM 'MAL' REYNOLDS, INARA SERRA, JAYNE COBB, KAYWINNET LEE 'KAYE' FRYE)**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

Captain Dai LaFar was furious. How had someone completely overridden their security protocols and disabled all six ships in the strike fleet. He watched as ships escaped from Haven and cursed under his breath. Dai was human, but a human that also willingly served the Yami. These fools didn't know how much better, how much more structured and organized life was under the Yami. They insisted on fighting and rebelling against what the Yami offered. Soon they would have no choice in the matter. Within ten years, everything in the Expanse would be controlled by the Yami. The Alliance and the Council could do nothing to stop the wave of Yami forces continuing to eat away at their borders.

Dai turned to his tactical officer. "How soon can we get free of whatever stopped us cold?"

"Ten minutes more at least. The coding is rather specific, the science teams report they are making progress, and will expedite their efforts as quickly as possible." The officer replied.

Dai sighed; in this case he couldn't rush the issue, although his superiors will not be very happy at this turn of events. As if that train of thought had called him, the Yami Overseer stepped onto the bridge and glided over to stand next to the captain.

" _What is the delay? We should have commenced the attack by now. Why are we not moving?_ " The whispered voice of the Overseer asked.

"Our systems were compromised, on all of the ships. It looks as if it was a tactic to buy time for refugees from Haven to escape. Our teams are working to resolve the issue, but it will take at least another ten minutes." Dai replied.

" _No matter…Those that leave are only delaying the inevitable. Once we are able to move again, dispatch the ground forces to secure those that still reside on Haven. Follow the normal procedures._ " The Overseer started to turn away before pausing. " _Oh…And Captain…_ "

"Yes Overseer?" Dai asked.

" _You will find out who was capable of doing this to our forces, and enact measures to see that it doesn't happen again…Am I making myself clear?_ " The Overseer asked without turning around.

"Crystal clear, Overseer. It may take some time, but I am sure efforts are already underway." Dai said remaining calm.

" _Good, keep me advised of any new developments._ " And the Overseer left the bridge.

Dai released the breath that he had been holding. "Well, that went better than I expected. Tactical, alert the Science teams of the Overseer's assignment to them. Then alert the ground teams to prepare to depart once we are able to move again."

"Understood, Captain, orders are being relayed now." The tactical officer replied.

Dai acknowledged the reply with a nod and sat in his chair looking at the fleeing ships on the forward view screen. It was only a matter of time, soon there would be nowhere for them to hide. It was a lesson that he'd learned a long time ago. You cannot hide from shadows because they are always around, and for that reason, you can't hide from the Yami.

MEANWHILE, ON SERENITY…

"Mal, you just can't have two Gorram Operatives on this ship. What if they decide to turn us in? We'll be in jail faster than you can blink." Jayne heatedly pointed out to Mal in the dining area.

"Cale's knowledge was the one that enabled us to buy time for the others to escape. His mind was open to River. Do you think if he'd had any intentions that would have brought us harm; she would have let him survive after she'd gotten the knowledge from his mind?" Mal reminded him. "I think in this case they should be given a chance to show their true colors."

"Also, who is this Amber person that you brought aboard? You didn't tell any of the rest of us about your plans. All you told us is that we were making a little excursion to Haven. We know nothing about her, for all we know she could be another Alliance operative." Jayne continued to rant but was stopped cold at the calm and perfectly clear voice that spoke directly behind him.

"I assure you, that if I was an Alliance Operative with designs to hurt or harm this crew, that you would all be incapacitated or otherwise indisposed." Amber said walking into the dining area and sitting down in a nearby chair. "And as to the reason why you recently acquired a very expensive piece of military equipment, namely the Needle, was due to the person who sent Mal to Haven betting that I would find myself on Serenity. Nine times out of ten, that person is normally correct when making bets.

"Why weren't we informed?" Jayne persisted.

"I suspect if I know Captain Muffy Raven as well as I think I do, the less that knew about this little excursion the better. I am not the same person that I was before the loss of my Needle Squadron. One by one they were shot down in one of the earliest Yami attacks. The only reason I survived is the fact that I 'played dead' after the impact of one of their fighters on my Needle. Then I had to limp back to our nearby carrier under what was left of my power, before we were forced to retreat. The Military command offered me any posting I wanted to try to keep me serving. I declined, and left as soon as I could get my things together. Muffy wouldn't stop hounding me until I had promised I would contact her at least once a year on a private frequency that she would set up. It's been five years since I left. I thought I'd finally be able to settle down until the Yami came to Haven." Amber said, looking directly into Jayne's eyes as she told the story. "I don't know how Muffy came to find out about the fact that you needed a new full time Pilot on the Serenity, but she knew that given the current state of affairs..." Amber paused. "I guess she thought you could use one of the best pilots that had ever flown a Needle."

"Your whole squadron was shot down?" Mal asked still trying to absorb that information.

"Every single one of the Crimson Needle Squadron pilots, Captain Reynolds. Twenty nine souls lost in a single battle. As I said, I was lucky. It could have been all thirty of us." Amber confirmed.

"The infamous _Crimson Needle Squadron_?" Jayne asked abruptly. "You can't be _that_ Captain Amber Domino. That Squadron was legendary, even when we were learning of their initial missions, prior to the Yami. We were still running primarily from the Alliance at the time, but that squadron contained the best pilots to ever come out of their Academy. They had a perfect record, and never failed a mission."

"And that is why my squadron was one of the first sent to the front lines, in that early battle. Muffy's squadron was deployed elsewhere in the Expanse, and by the time the carrier that had the Diamond Squadron arrived to the scene, it was too late. All they could do is try to help recover any who survived. Unfortunately that was a relatively easy task, as there weren't many of us that lived. Five carriers and twenty smaller ships were destroyed. Almost every squadron deployed that day had either completely fallen, or had one or two survivors. It has been said by those of us that survived that is the worst battle since Serenity, for which this ship was named." Amber said without directly confirming who she was.

"I'm sorry." Jayne said gruffly and turned to Mal. "I'll be in my bunk." Jayne said leaving the dining area.

Mal looked to be about to say something as well, when someone cleared their throat at the entrance to the dining area. "I'm sorry to interrupt Captain Reynolds, but Cale has given me leave to come and clarify why we were in this area to begin with. He is still unable to do it himself, and truth be told, Simon had to force him to stay put." The shorter of the two men who had recently come aboard said. His short black hair and violet eyes would mark him as one of the best Operatives the Alliance had if anyone who knew of him had seen him. "Syn Drake, Alliance Operative assigned to monitor Yami communications."

"Have a seat, Mr. Drake." Mal said. Syn took another empty seat, and once Mal saw he'd settled in, finally asked. "What do you know about me and my crew?"

"The same information given to any alliance operative; you are wanted for running illegal smuggling operations throughout the Expanse. This includes the harboring of the fugitives Doctor Simon Tam and his sister River Tam. However, what Captain Domino may have not informed you of, is that given the current situation with the Yami. Well let's just say that your record for the moment is not our primary concern. All Operatives have been reassigned to collect as much information about the Yami as possible and to find a way to stop them."

"And after the Yami situation is resolved?" Mal asked.

"If we survive this, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, I believe you will agree our primary concern is to assist in finding a way to halt the advance of the Yami. I can tell you this much. Most of the ships in the Yami fleet are crewed and staffed by humans." Syn paused as he saw Mal take that in. "They have a Yami Overseer to keep them in line, but the crews are otherwise completely human."

"Why would they willingly serve the Yami?" Amber asked the obvious question.

"From what other Operatives have gathered, they feel that the structured way that the Yami live is a good thing. They believe if everyone were united under one way of thinking, the thinking that the Yami provide, that the Expanse will be at peace." Syn said.

"But they'll lose their individuality. Don't they understand what that means?" Amber asked with a grim expression on her face.

"It doesn't matter to them anymore, or not enough for them to try to rise up against them." Syn said shaking his head sadly. "For all the times we chased after Captain Reynolds and his crew, a lot of the Operatives respected they were standing up for their individuality. Granted we had our duties to perform, but still…" Syn shrugged.

"They need something to make them believe that it's worth fighting for their individuality." Mal said.

"Yes, they do. Captain Reynolds, Cale and I are not here to tell you how to run your ship, nor are we here to take away the Tams. We're here because we made a choice to stick with Amber. Granted she had no idea who we were, and it was Cale's fault that he ended up learning a lesson at her hand, but at the time we felt it was our best option. Also, Sir, your ship has a great track record of beating the odds. Of all the ships that departed Haven, we also felt our best chance of survival was with you." Syn explained.

"Yes we have beaten the odds quite a bit. Alright you two can stay, and while I doubt Jayne will feel the same way about this, welcome aboard. What I want from the two of you is any information you may have already. If there's a way to do what you were doing on Haven from this ship, let me know what you need. We'll try to get the items you need. After this is all over, if things go back to the status quo we want a decent head start before you send the hounds after us. Do we have an agreement?" Mal said offering Syn his hand.

"A more than acceptable agreement, I will explain the terms to Cale, but I don't think he'd see anything wrong with them. We will ensure a more than adequate lead time, and personally tell you how long you have before the chase will begin again." Syn said shaking Mal's hand.

"Amber, you'll take Book's old bunk. It's been cleaned up since he passed, but it's yours. Syn, until Cale is better we're going to give you one of the Guest bunks that the passengers we transport use. After that we may make other arrangements so you can have a bit more room to yourselves." Mal said.

"Thank you Captain, we're used to living in cramped quarters. We didn't expect you to be so generous actually, given that we normally chase you around the Expanse." Syn nodded. "Cale was actually concerned you'd kick us both off your ship at the next moon."

"Jayne may actually still want to do that, but I'm the Captain of this ship. He may not like that you are here, but he'll grudgingly deal with it." Mal said. "Just live up to your end of the bargain if we survive all of this."

"We will, you can count on it. We won't be idle either. We'll either be finding some way to continue our work onboard, or helping out where you are shorthanded." Syn added. "Just have someone show me to the quarters when they're available. I'm going to report back to Cale." Syn got up and left the room without another word.

"I'll be excusing myself as well Captain, I need to get settled in. I'm sure someone can give me directions to the quarters you spoke of." Amber also got up and exited the room.

Mal watched both of them leave. He now had two Alliance operatives, as well as a Needle Squadron Commander serving aboard his ship. War makes strange bedfellows, and even those who were normally enemies, joined to serve a common cause. Mal also liked the challenge of finding a way to stop the advance of the Yami. He still made his runs through all of this since the Yami arrived, but it was getting harder to do so. Many of his normal clients didn't want to pay the higher fees that came with the increasing difficulties. He would rather be running from the Alliance than dealing with trying to get around the blockades. He was always a decent judge of character, and he knew that Syn would stand by his bargain, as would Cale. Cale who could just as easily have let all the refugees die. Instead he forced himself past his pain to come up and have River use his knowledge to give them extra time.

They had a chance, there was always a chance. But now, with the three new additions to the Serenity, the odds were looking better. Now all they had to do was convince those that had willingly chosen to serve the Yami, to rise up and take back what they lost.

END CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

**UNTITLED FICTION STORY**

 **OPENING SETTING COLONY WORLD 'HAVEN'**

 **CHARACTERS THAT I DON'T OWN THAT MAY BE FEATURED – THOSE FROM FIREFLY/ SERENITY (SURVIVING SERENITY CHARACTERS: RIVER AND SIMON TAM, ZOE WASHBURNE, MALCOLM 'MAL' REYNOLDS, INARA SERRA, JAYNE COBB, KAYWINNET LEE 'KAYE' FRYE...AND 'WASH')**

 **CHAPTER THREE – RESURRECTION AND BETRAYAL**

He woke up in a medical lab; it was the only way to describe the orderly and pristine room that he was in. There was a problem with that however, because by his reckoning, he should be dead and buried. He felt different, something wasn't right. He felt the area where the spear had pierced him just before his death. His eyes widened in shock at his discovery that the wound was gone.

Looking to his left he saw an IV device, and something an odd black color was in the bag being dripped into his system. That wasn't blood being administered from the bag. "Where in the 'verse am I?" he wondered aloud to himself. "Why aren't I dead?" was his second thought.

The Overseer had called Captain LaFar down to the medical area. This was the perfect human to bring back. Hoban Washburne had been the perfect choice to bring back. He had died of only one severe wound, so his brain was intact. This mean his subconscious reconditioning to serve as a Yami spy could proceed unhindered. They had transferred him that morning from the Pod he had been healing in to the medical lab. They still kept the infusion of Yami matter into his system, and would do so at least for the next three to four hours. This would ensure that the healing of his body and reactivation of his motor functions held. " _So Captain, what do you think of your new Helmsman_?" The Overseer asked with pride in his voice.

"You revived a Dead man." Dai LaFar said the horror of what had been done in his voice.

" _He will be the perfect spy, although he does not know it yet. We have conditioned his subconscious during his Healing before he was Awakened… Our informants tell us among those ships that escaped Haven, one of them was Serenity._ " The Observer said.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds's ship, I know of it." Dai said, knowing sadly, where this was leading. "You're going to plant him on the Serenity as a Spy…"

" _Very perceptive deduction, we need information, having Hoban Washburne back on his vessel will allow us to get inside information. Perhaps if we get lucky, we may be able to discover the main bases that the Resistance fleet has been using. It would end this war quicker, and with less bloodshed if we can eliminate the head of the Snake._ " The Observer smoothly continued.

"And if he is discovered, how do you plan to retrieve him?" Dai asked. "If he is to be my new senior helmsman, it would better if he was a living helmsman."

" _He will escape any way that he can. From what the sensors picked up the ship has two shuttles…he would likely be able to escape using one of them. Then he would send a signal back to us which we can use to pursue Serenity._ " The Overseer answered.

"Why is it so important to go after one Firefly class vessel? I would have thought that you would be able to gather enough information through normal means without chasing after one ship." Dai failed to see the logic of obsessing over one small ship.

" _Scans reported a Needle was docked with the Serenity. There were no Needles deployed by the Alliance or the Council to this area. I need to know why this has happened. There has to be an Unknown in this Sector, and MY superiors will not let me ignore this issue._ " The Overseer shook his head from where it was under his dark hooded cloak. " _Even I failed to see the Logic of going after one specific ship. But My superiors are concerned. They employed all means to find someone that could infiltrate that ship. Unfortunately the only one that could without being questioned was a dead man. So we used for the first time, a technique only available to injured Yami on him. It is not a permanent fix, while his injuries he sustained prior to death will not return; our 'blood' in his system is toxic. He will have a few years at most, before it becomes fatal._ "

"And if it becomes fatal?" Dai asked the unnecessary question.

" _He will just Stop…No pain, no suffering, he will just Stop. This procedure according to our technicians can only be performed ONCE on a human. This is due to the differences in our makeup, as you may have guessed. A Yami can endure this procedure three times before it becomes fatal to us because of what the body must go through to complete the process, not because of our own 'blood'._ " The Overseer solemnly replied.

"The conditioning, can he break it?" Dai asked.

" _Perhaps, with the correct stimuli it can be done. But it would take multiple interactions with those stimuli before the conditioning would weaken enough. Though he will be aware once the conditioning kicks in what he is doing, but unable to stop._ "

"I suppose I better go talk to the man, and tell him the truth of things." Dai said. "He's not going to like what he hears, and better it come from me than you."

The Overseer did not respond, but bowed his head in agreement and left the area.

Dai entered the room, causing Hoban Washburne to turn towards his visitor. "How are you feeling Mr. Washburne?" he asked.

"Not dead…" Wash replied.

"I know…The Yami brought you back and conditioned your subconscious mind to serve them." Dai paused. "I'm Captain Dai LaFar, this is my ship. They also advised me that upon return from your initial orders you would be my new senior helmsman."

"Who are the Yami? I haven't heard of them." Wash asked.

"Unlikely you would have as they appeared after your death. The Alliance even stopped hunting the Firefly due to the rapid pace that the Yami took out a lot of the Council military as well as the Alliance fleet. Most survivors, like me surrendered to prevent their death. Any Resistance cells are currently being hunted down and 'removed'. Any of the military who surrendered were allowed to keep their current postings, with one addition. A Yami Overseer, responsible for ensuring all human officers serving the Yami fulfilled the orders given to them without deviation."

"They didn't want you turning on them." Wash said matter of factly.

"Exactly, most of those that surrendered including me were from the Alliance military. The initial orders from the Overseer are this. You will be set down on a nearby planet, and send a signal to Serenity. Once you are onboard you are to start finding information and sending it back through a specific channel to my ship. We will be tailing you as you continue to send your periodic signals. If you are discovered, we will be available to ensure your escape back to this ship. Hopefully according to the Overseer, you will be on board Serenity enough to find the information we need. Specifically the Overseer wants to know why there is a Needle fighter docked with the Serenity. Find out at least that much and that will be fine. Find out anything about the locations of Resistance bases and that will be better. I know you want to decline this, but you'll shortly find that your conditioning won't let you. However, one day you may be able to be free of such conditioning." Dai said sympathetically as Wash's face had changed because he found he was unable to refuse the order.

"One day, can't you remove this conditioning? I don't want to hurt them, they're my Family. You don't hurt Family." Wash asked horrified.

"And remember in your heart of hearts they are your Family. Because family can always help, but it will take time…There will likely be hurt before there is Healing of your own heart and mind. One more thing, this procedure, will only extend your life for a few more years. How many exactly the Overseer didn't say. However for your sake, I hope you can be your true self again before you die from their 'blood' being in your system. Leave the IV in for the next four hours. If you take it out before then, the Healing that you received while in the Yami Pod will not hold." Dai said as he noticed Wash moving to take it out.

"My wife though…Mal, and the others." Wash said distraught.

"I know…" Dai said sympathetically. "If the conditioning kicks in, try to do what you can to minimize the damage you do…As long as you get the information they want, they have no interest in the deaths of your Family. If they did, the Overseer would have told me. Although, both the Overseer for this ship, and myself wonder why his Superiors are concerned at the existence of the Serenity and its new Needle."

Wash absorbed this, realizing he was being given more information than he should have been. That the Overseer was allowing this to happen, meant on some level he didn't support what his Superiors had done. This meant, if he could do something to warn Mal and the others…If he could work around his conditioning, he could be a double agent. He was sure Dai knew what was going through his mind. His time on Serenity would more than likely be very short, so he would have to be very specific. Any attempt by himself to communicate with them after he had returned to this ship, would be noticed. "I understand." Wash said nodding finally. "I don't like it, but I understand. When do I leave?"

"We will be following the general direction that Serenity was said to depart towards after being one of the ships that escaped our attack on Haven in the Blue Sun system. They looked to be heading towards the Georgia system."

"That would be close enough for them to regroup, and maybe trade for resupply on some of the planets and moons. If they took any damage during the escape they'd need to find parts for repairs." Wash said thinking about it, before realizing he'd just provided them information.

"The conditioning, I'm sorry son." Dai said. "We'll let you know when we reach the Georgia system. Get your rest until then." Dai added before leaving the medical lab.

Wash lay back down on the medical bed. Everything that Captain LaFar had said to him was true. He had been straight with Wash, and Wash knew it too. Mal, Zoe, and the others would be hurt before this was all over. Especially Zoe, his beloved wife…It was with the thought of what was to come, which led him to cry himself to sleep. Well not before he vowed to make the Yami pay for what they'd done to him. They'd given him new life, but at the cost of his very Soul.

 **END CHAPTER 3**


End file.
